Movies like The Goonies, National Treasure, and most recently Uncharted have always been appealing and beloved by audiences. Setting aside the scripts, acting, and special effects, the possible reality of people being able to find lost treasures is something anyone can dream of. Getting your hands on untold fortunes and a piece of history isn’t something only to be found in movies. Experts estimate that there are nearly 3 million shipwrecks scattered along the world’s ocean floors. Some of the ships lying at the bottom of the oceans date back thousands of years and are protected as valuable historical landmarks under UNESCO cultural heritage sites.

With advancements in modern technology, like drones, discovering sunken treasures is more probable than ever. In May of 2021, the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust (FMHT) announced that they had committed to funding an expedition to locate the famed Endurance, Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ship that sank in the icy waters of the Weddell Sea in November of 1915. With permission from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office, and in collaboration with South Africa’s Department of Environment, Forestry, and Fisheries, FMHT’s expedition Endurance22 planned to set sail to find the missing ship off the eastern side of the Antarctic Peninsula. Led by British polar explorer Dr. John Shears and a crew of 50 researchers, the expedition boarded the South African S. A. Agulhas II in February of 2022, a research vessel specifically designed to break through ice sheets.

A final crew member for Endurance22 was a submersible drone built by Saab called Sabertooth. The drone has a sleek body, is extremely agile, can hover, dive to depths up to 3,000 meters, and has a 30 kWh battery life. It can be operated manually, assisted, or autonomously to perform a wide range of deep sea missions. Combined with an underwater docking unit, the Sabertooth drone can remain underwater for upwards of 6 months before needing maintenance. And, as explained on Saab’s website, “Its small size, tether-free operation and maneuverability ensure easy and safe access inside and around complex structures.”

The Sabertooth drone was an ideal tool for Dr. Shears to go treasure hunting in the frigid Weddell Sea, a mission that would be one of the most challenging shipwreck expeditions ever attempted. After 2 weeks, the Sabertooth located the Endurance roughly 4 miles south of where Sir Shackleton had marked its last known coordinates. The drone footage revealed that the Endurance was sitting fully intact on the seafloor, 11,000ft below the surface. The lack of sunlight and the extreme temperatures of the Weddell Sea meant that the Endurance has been able to stand the test of time. “This is by far the finest wooden shipwreck I have ever seen,” said FMHT’s Director of Exploration, Mensun Bound. “It is upright, well proud of the seabed, intact, and in a brilliant state of preservation. You can even see ‘Endurance’ arced across the stern, directly below the taffrail. This is a milestone in polar history.”

While the mission cost FMHT a reported $10 million, for Mr. Bound the data of the Endurance recovered by the drone is priceless. “We are overwhelmed by our good fortune in having located and captured images of Endurance,” Mr. Bound said. The ship will remain in its watery grave, protected as a historical site. But, thanks to drone technology, the world will have a chance to experience this lost treasure.